Pseudolebinthus lunipterus sp. nov.: a striking deaf and mute new cricket from Malawi (Orthoptera, Gryllidae, Eneopterinae)

Abstract

This article presents an intriguing new cricket species of the tribe Xenogryllini discovered in Northern Malawi. This is the first case of mute and deaf species in the subfamily Eneopterinae; it shows no stridulatory apparatus on short male forewings and no tympana on either side of fore tibiae in both sexes. We introduce the new species and its complete mitogenome and assess phylogenetic relationships based on molecular data obtained from next-generation sequencing genome skimming method. Phylogenetic analyses place the new species within the genus Pseudolebinthus in Xenogryllini, as the sister species of Pseudolebinthus gorochovi Robillard. We describe Pseudolebinthus lunipterus sp. nov., provide illustrations of main morphology, male and female genitalia, photographs of living specimens and information about habitat and update the identification key for species of genus Pseudolebinthus. We discuss the differences between the new species and related taxa and the striking loss of acoustic communication in this cricket.

Phylogeny, systematics and evolution of calling songs of the Lebinthini crickets (Orthoptera, Grylloidea, Eneopterinae), with description of two new genera

“…Although a few lineages have become mute (e.g., Salazar et al ., 2020), the subfamily Eneopterinae is highly diverse in terms of acoustic signals. A similar pattern is found among Lebinthini, in particular in the subtribe Cardiodactylina where Swezwilderia species are mute, whereas the numerous species of Cardiodactylus show a great, yet largely unexplored, diversity of calling songs.…”

“…Male and female genitalia dissection and imaging follow the methodology described in Salazar et al . (2020). Male genitalia terminology follows Desutter (1987), modified in Desutter‐Grandcolas (2003) and Robillard & Desutter‐Grandcolas (2004a).…”

“…The terminology for male tegminal veins and cells follows Ragge (1955) and Robillard & Desutter-Grandcolas (2004a). Male and female genitalia dissection and imaging follow the methodology described in Salazar et al (2020). Male genitalia terminology follows Desutter (1987), modified in Desutter-Grandcolas (2003) and Robillard & Desutter-Grandcolas (2004a).…”

Platybinthus, a new genus of Lebinthina crickets (Orthoptera, Gryllidae, Eneopterinae) from Maluka, Indonesia

“…We used this relatively non-destructive method because it avoided damaging the legs of type specimens, which were dried after DNA extraction and replaced on the specimens. The extracts were then used for library preparation in a Genome Skimming approach (Straub et al 2012) as presented in Salazar et al (2020). We assessed total DNA with a QubitTM dsDNA High-Sensitivity Assay Kit (Life Technologies, Paisley, UK) with a Fluorescence Microplate Reader in 1.0 μL of sample.…”

A new species of Indigryllus (Orthoptera, Gryllidae, Eneopterinae, Xenogryllini) from Kerala, India, with first data on acoustics and natural habitat

“…The recent taxonomic revision of the cricket tribe Xenogryllini (Jaiswara et al 2018a(Jaiswara et al , b & 2019 has led to the clarification of all the taxa within this clade and the description of several new taxa, including several new species from Africa in the genera Xenogryllus Bolívar, 1890 and Pseudolebinthus Robillard, 2006 (Robillard, 2006;Jaiswara et al 2018a, b;Salazar et al 2020;, and the new genus Indigryllus from India. The only species of the genus, Indigryllus kudremu was described based on three type specimens, from an unclear locality.…”